Hunt on for single queen bee that is on the loose in Australia

The hunt is on for a single queen bee that has the potential to cause big problems for the agricultural sector in northern Australia. The Asian honey bee is a notifiable pest in the Northern Territory. The queen was part of a hive that was discovered in a campervan being trucked from Cairns to Darwin. The bees can carry the destructive varroa mite, however tests carried out on the destroyed hive show the mite was not present.

The mites, which attach themselves to bees and suck their blood can cause diseases and viruses, and are known to kill entire bee colonies and spread to others. Stephen West, chief plant health manager for the Northern Territory Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries (DPIF), said the swarm of Asian honey bees was killed by biosecurity staff in Darwin, but the queen was nowhere to be found.



"It's a matter of how that journey went for the queen, what condition she was in when they arrived, and that swarm that's moved off with her, the strength of those bees as well, and how quickly they can find a food source. If she's here we need to find her and we need to eradicate her. We need to do it as quickly as we can." Mr West said laboratory testing showed the bees that had made the journey from Cairns were not carrying varroa mite. "Australia is one of the last remaining countries in the world that does not have varroa mite."

Mr West said an Asian honey bee population has been established in Cairns since 2007 but ongoing biosecurity efforts have prevented their spread into the Northern Territory. He said the Asian honey bees are more aggressive than the European honey bee that most Australians are familiar with. "Their swarms will move into places such as letter boxes. They'll move into hollows and take the place of bird nesting spots and possums." The DPIF is asking for assistance from anyone who works in the East Arm precinct in Darwin to be on the lookout for any honey bee activity and immediately report any sightings to NT Quarantine on the exotic plant pest hotline.

There's an audio interview with Stephen West here.